IV.
Joey opened his eyes slowly and saw gray. He thought it was a sky, but he wasn't sure. He turned to his right and saw his sister lying there beside him. She seemed to be unhurt and he breathed a sigh of relief. He turned left and saw, Yami?
"Yami!? What's going on? How are you out of the puzzle and where are we?"
"We're in the Shadow Realm." He spoke those few words like they explained everything. In a way they did. Being in the Shadow Realm, meant Yami was his own person, it also explained the why, well, sort of.
"So, me and Serenity are the ones helping you this time, instead of Yugi?" Yami nodded.
Joey sighed and looked around. That's when he saw him. The Flame Swordsman! He jumped up and moved over to him, but still wary of the Card. Just because it was his favourite didn't mean anything as Yami had learned his first time here alone.
But to Joey's surprise the warrior just bowed and handed Joey a card. It was the warrior's own card! He had willingly put himself into Joey's care. Joey smiled and saluted the warrior.
"Thanks man, I owe you one. I don't think I could do this alone." He looked around. "Well, whatever we're suppose to do anyway." The warrior seemed surprised at his show of friendship, but took the hand Joey offered.
"There is just one thing I would really like you to do, if you don't mind, that is."
"I don't. You've treated me fairly before." Joey blushed at this but continued.
"Well, you see, my sister is here with me and well," Joey took a deep breath and blurted it all out. "She means more to me than I do to myself, so no matter what, remember that my final request, if it comes to that is to make sure she is safe."
He waited, not willing to meet anyone's eye, but the Swordsman just placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded.
"You have my word, I will protect her and make sure she gets home."
Yami, who had just been sitting there, watching the exchange finally spoke up.
"Don't you think you should wake her now?" Joey started and then nodded his head. He moved over to Serenity and shook her gently.
"Hey, Sis, wake up." He saw her eyes open and then widen as she looked around.
"Joey? Where are we?" The Flame Swordsman spoke up.
"My Lady, if you'll let me I'll explain." Serenity nodded at the warrior and Joey could understand her shock. "The game that Joey plays is based off a game of terrible magic from Ancient Egypt. They were simply called the Shadow Games. Where you are now is the Shadow Realm, where the Cards, such as myself reside." He waited a moment for her to take in the information and then continued.
"Lately this Realm has been having some problems, our balance had been broken twice before and now a third time. The first time it was because the Pharaoh," he nodded at Yami, who gave a slight nod in return, "did not remember the light within him and he had to learn that." Yami blushed and looked away. Serenity was looking at him carefully but didn't interrupt.
"The second time was when his Light refused him, leaving him to darkness. Yugi and Yami had to learn to work together and then the balance was restored."
"So that's why he looks so familiar. He and your friend Yugi are one." Joey nodded at Serenity.
"Yami's soul resides in the puzzle and that's how he talks to us in the real world when he doesn't switch with Yugi. Of course we didn't figure this out till recently." He gave a pointed look at Yami who just held up his hands in defense.
"So what is wrong in the Shadow Realm this time?"
"I'll explain that one Miss." They turned to see the Celtic Guardian walk forward and stand by Yami.. Something passed between the two of them that the others couldn't quite understand. Finally the elf spoke.
"When Yami came here the second time he was used as a Card by a very powerful Lord. Using Yami's power they had captured many other cards, many whose alignment was that of darkness. When both Yami and Yugi destroyed the Lord we thought things would go back to being as they once were, but they didn't"
"Obviously, or we wouldn't be here. But I thought that Yami could easily take care of any problem here?'
The Elf shook his head.
"Only as a Card can he use his full powers here in this realm and no one here will force Yami to go through that again. But as to the reason we are here, the Dark monsters that the Lord had captured raised the Castle of Dark Illusions and are using the darkness to hide and build an army. If the castle were to fall, we would be able to take them on, but as they are right now." He shrugged.
"You can't." Stated Serenity. "But why did you bring me and my brother?"
"We thought we would get Yugi, through the puzzle but since Joey had the puzzle and there is such a strong bond between the two of you it brought the both of you instead. Yami is a whole now, that is why we were going to use the puzzle." Yami stood then and walked over to Joey and Serenity and looked at both of them.
"I can't do this alone, but if you don't want to be a part of this than you don't have to be. I can send you both home and find someone I trust to," he stopped, as if the words were caught in his throat. "To use me as a card and get rid of this."
Joey had never seen Yami look so scared before. It hurt him and shook him to the core, he knew without looking or asking what Serenity's answer was as her hand slipped into his and squeezed gently.
"We'll help you Yami, the both of us." He looked over at the Swordsman. "Actually, I should be saying the three of us." Yami looked relieved and turned to the Elf Warrior.
"We'll be alright. You don't have to worry, alright?" The elf nodded and then moved off to the forest in the distance. They all turned to the Darkened Plain and Joey voice the first problem.
"So how are we going to get there? I mean, we can't just walk the whole way." Yami smiled and pulled out a card.
"I have a friend who can help us out." He called out in his mind and got a response from two. He smiled. Yup, they knew he was back. He turned to the forest and saw Gadreel, Gaia's violet Warhorse and Silver Fang the giant wolf headed in their direction. He turned to Joey. "Here's our ride." Both Cards stopped in front of Yami and welcomed him back.
"Gadreel, I want you to carry Serenity and the Flame Swordsman. Silver Fang, Joey and I'll be on your back." The wolf and horse nodded their heads.
"That sounds reasonable. Gadreel has had more experience with a warrior on his back than I have and will know what to do. I, on the other hand, know you and how to react to your commands." Joey looked stunned.
"I didn't know they could talk." Yami looked at him.
"There are a lot of things in this realm you won't know. Just remember. It is their realm and they are the ones who live here and make the rules." He could tell by Joey's shudder that he was thinking of some of the cards they had come face to face with.
Then Serenity was beside him and Yami watched as he grew stronger and confidence grew inside him.
"Alright then! Flame Swordsman, could you go with my sister?" The warrior nodded and helped her onto Gadreel's back, getting up behind her. Yami and Joey got on to Silver fang's back and they all raced towards the darkness.
Their first fight wouldn't be long in coming.
Serenity sat on the violet and blond horse, with the warrior behind her. She wasn't sure what was going on, but deep inside she knew there was a reason for her being here. She closed her eyes and as was a habit when she couldn't see, her other senses took over. It was that which saved their lives.
Over the pounding of the hooves and the lighter hit of paws she heard a noise that seemed completely out of place. It was a scratch and a slither, a sound of something dragging itself across the land. She listened more closely and could almost imagine claws and scales.
Something within the air tensed and she felt it, knew it. Without opening her eyes she yelled a warning.
"To your right! Something's about to attack!" she opened her eyes then just as the warrior leapt off the horses back. The horse itself wheeled to face the creature and she saw her brother and his friend off the wolf and ready. She then witnessed a true duel.
Yami had signaled to the horse to move back by him and had placed a card face down in the air in front of him. He nodded to Joey who seemed to understand that she was safe even if she didn't know what was going on. Joey gave her a brief smile and then turned to the warrior.
"Flame Swordsman, attack, but keep just out of range. We need your fire to see what it is." Serenity watched, fascinated as the warrior did just that and the fire from his blade lit up a dragon whose wings had been broken.
"It's A Crawling Dragon,!" Yami shouted from beside her. She looked at him wondering how he knew. "Silver Fang, distract the dragon so that the Swordsman can get an attack on it's neck. It's weak there." The wolf nodded and leapt into action biting at the dragon's eyes and then backing away, just out of reach. The dragon fell for it.
"Flame Swordsman, now!" She watched as the warrior listened to her brother and saw the finishing blow. She also saw her brother see the long tail come around and try for one final attack. "Jump back now!"
"Silver Fang! Pin the tail!"
It was over within minutes, but it felt like forever. Serenity was amazed at how her brother and Yami had worked together with the cards and had destroyed that creature. Joey had looked at her and seeing she was alright had went to the warrior.
She urged the horse over to them and listened to what was going on.
"You okay?"
"Yes, young master."
"Look. I'm not your master, I'm your friend. I'm just glad that we work well together."
"You have your sister to thank for winning this battle. Without her, we would have been caught unprepared." Serenity blushed as the two looked up at her, but she smiled back at her brother. As she looked at the two, side by side, she felt the same strength and passion within both of them.
"I was right Joey, you are a warrior."
Yami who had come up to hear this with Silver Fang just smiled. He leaned back against the wolf and felt him chuckling.
"What's so funny."
"Do you realize how different you are from the first time here?" Yami shook his head. Yugi was right, you still haven't figured it out." Yami looked at him in surprise. "Look at them Yami. This is what it means to have friends. You are your own person and now you have your own friends. Joey no longer looks at you as just a part of Yugi."
Yami thought about this and nodded to himself. It seemed that no matter what kind of battle they would be facing, he was always learning more about himself.
//No, I think I'm relearning. Who knows, maybe one day, I'll be free.//
Joey opened his eyes slowly and saw gray. He thought it was a sky, but he wasn't sure. He turned to his right and saw his sister lying there beside him. She seemed to be unhurt and he breathed a sigh of relief. He turned left and saw, Yami?
"Yami!? What's going on? How are you out of the puzzle and where are we?"
"We're in the Shadow Realm." He spoke those few words like they explained everything. In a way they did. Being in the Shadow Realm, meant Yami was his own person, it also explained the why, well, sort of.
"So, me and Serenity are the ones helping you this time, instead of Yugi?" Yami nodded.
Joey sighed and looked around. That's when he saw him. The Flame Swordsman! He jumped up and moved over to him, but still wary of the Card. Just because it was his favourite didn't mean anything as Yami had learned his first time here alone.
But to Joey's surprise the warrior just bowed and handed Joey a card. It was the warrior's own card! He had willingly put himself into Joey's care. Joey smiled and saluted the warrior.
"Thanks man, I owe you one. I don't think I could do this alone." He looked around. "Well, whatever we're suppose to do anyway." The warrior seemed surprised at his show of friendship, but took the hand Joey offered.
"There is just one thing I would really like you to do, if you don't mind, that is."
"I don't. You've treated me fairly before." Joey blushed at this but continued.
"Well, you see, my sister is here with me and well," Joey took a deep breath and blurted it all out. "She means more to me than I do to myself, so no matter what, remember that my final request, if it comes to that is to make sure she is safe."
He waited, not willing to meet anyone's eye, but the Swordsman just placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded.
"You have my word, I will protect her and make sure she gets home."
Yami, who had just been sitting there, watching the exchange finally spoke up.
"Don't you think you should wake her now?" Joey started and then nodded his head. He moved over to Serenity and shook her gently.
"Hey, Sis, wake up." He saw her eyes open and then widen as she looked around.
"Joey? Where are we?" The Flame Swordsman spoke up.
"My Lady, if you'll let me I'll explain." Serenity nodded at the warrior and Joey could understand her shock. "The game that Joey plays is based off a game of terrible magic from Ancient Egypt. They were simply called the Shadow Games. Where you are now is the Shadow Realm, where the Cards, such as myself reside." He waited a moment for her to take in the information and then continued.
"Lately this Realm has been having some problems, our balance had been broken twice before and now a third time. The first time it was because the Pharaoh," he nodded at Yami, who gave a slight nod in return, "did not remember the light within him and he had to learn that." Yami blushed and looked away. Serenity was looking at him carefully but didn't interrupt.
"The second time was when his Light refused him, leaving him to darkness. Yugi and Yami had to learn to work together and then the balance was restored."
"So that's why he looks so familiar. He and your friend Yugi are one." Joey nodded at Serenity.
"Yami's soul resides in the puzzle and that's how he talks to us in the real world when he doesn't switch with Yugi. Of course we didn't figure this out till recently." He gave a pointed look at Yami who just held up his hands in defense.
"So what is wrong in the Shadow Realm this time?"
"I'll explain that one Miss." They turned to see the Celtic Guardian walk forward and stand by Yami.. Something passed between the two of them that the others couldn't quite understand. Finally the elf spoke.
"When Yami came here the second time he was used as a Card by a very powerful Lord. Using Yami's power they had captured many other cards, many whose alignment was that of darkness. When both Yami and Yugi destroyed the Lord we thought things would go back to being as they once were, but they didn't"
"Obviously, or we wouldn't be here. But I thought that Yami could easily take care of any problem here?'
The Elf shook his head.
"Only as a Card can he use his full powers here in this realm and no one here will force Yami to go through that again. But as to the reason we are here, the Dark monsters that the Lord had captured raised the Castle of Dark Illusions and are using the darkness to hide and build an army. If the castle were to fall, we would be able to take them on, but as they are right now." He shrugged.
"You can't." Stated Serenity. "But why did you bring me and my brother?"
"We thought we would get Yugi, through the puzzle but since Joey had the puzzle and there is such a strong bond between the two of you it brought the both of you instead. Yami is a whole now, that is why we were going to use the puzzle." Yami stood then and walked over to Joey and Serenity and looked at both of them.
"I can't do this alone, but if you don't want to be a part of this than you don't have to be. I can send you both home and find someone I trust to," he stopped, as if the words were caught in his throat. "To use me as a card and get rid of this."
Joey had never seen Yami look so scared before. It hurt him and shook him to the core, he knew without looking or asking what Serenity's answer was as her hand slipped into his and squeezed gently.
"We'll help you Yami, the both of us." He looked over at the Swordsman. "Actually, I should be saying the three of us." Yami looked relieved and turned to the Elf Warrior.
"We'll be alright. You don't have to worry, alright?" The elf nodded and then moved off to the forest in the distance. They all turned to the Darkened Plain and Joey voice the first problem.
"So how are we going to get there? I mean, we can't just walk the whole way." Yami smiled and pulled out a card.
"I have a friend who can help us out." He called out in his mind and got a response from two. He smiled. Yup, they knew he was back. He turned to the forest and saw Gadreel, Gaia's violet Warhorse and Silver Fang the giant wolf headed in their direction. He turned to Joey. "Here's our ride." Both Cards stopped in front of Yami and welcomed him back.
"Gadreel, I want you to carry Serenity and the Flame Swordsman. Silver Fang, Joey and I'll be on your back." The wolf and horse nodded their heads.
"That sounds reasonable. Gadreel has had more experience with a warrior on his back than I have and will know what to do. I, on the other hand, know you and how to react to your commands." Joey looked stunned.
"I didn't know they could talk." Yami looked at him.
"There are a lot of things in this realm you won't know. Just remember. It is their realm and they are the ones who live here and make the rules." He could tell by Joey's shudder that he was thinking of some of the cards they had come face to face with.
Then Serenity was beside him and Yami watched as he grew stronger and confidence grew inside him.
"Alright then! Flame Swordsman, could you go with my sister?" The warrior nodded and helped her onto Gadreel's back, getting up behind her. Yami and Joey got on to Silver fang's back and they all raced towards the darkness.
Their first fight wouldn't be long in coming.
Serenity sat on the violet and blond horse, with the warrior behind her. She wasn't sure what was going on, but deep inside she knew there was a reason for her being here. She closed her eyes and as was a habit when she couldn't see, her other senses took over. It was that which saved their lives.
Over the pounding of the hooves and the lighter hit of paws she heard a noise that seemed completely out of place. It was a scratch and a slither, a sound of something dragging itself across the land. She listened more closely and could almost imagine claws and scales.
Something within the air tensed and she felt it, knew it. Without opening her eyes she yelled a warning.
"To your right! Something's about to attack!" she opened her eyes then just as the warrior leapt off the horses back. The horse itself wheeled to face the creature and she saw her brother and his friend off the wolf and ready. She then witnessed a true duel.
Yami had signaled to the horse to move back by him and had placed a card face down in the air in front of him. He nodded to Joey who seemed to understand that she was safe even if she didn't know what was going on. Joey gave her a brief smile and then turned to the warrior.
"Flame Swordsman, attack, but keep just out of range. We need your fire to see what it is." Serenity watched, fascinated as the warrior did just that and the fire from his blade lit up a dragon whose wings had been broken.
"It's A Crawling Dragon,!" Yami shouted from beside her. She looked at him wondering how he knew. "Silver Fang, distract the dragon so that the Swordsman can get an attack on it's neck. It's weak there." The wolf nodded and leapt into action biting at the dragon's eyes and then backing away, just out of reach. The dragon fell for it.
"Flame Swordsman, now!" She watched as the warrior listened to her brother and saw the finishing blow. She also saw her brother see the long tail come around and try for one final attack. "Jump back now!"
"Silver Fang! Pin the tail!"
It was over within minutes, but it felt like forever. Serenity was amazed at how her brother and Yami had worked together with the cards and had destroyed that creature. Joey had looked at her and seeing she was alright had went to the warrior.
She urged the horse over to them and listened to what was going on.
"You okay?"
"Yes, young master."
"Look. I'm not your master, I'm your friend. I'm just glad that we work well together."
"You have your sister to thank for winning this battle. Without her, we would have been caught unprepared." Serenity blushed as the two looked up at her, but she smiled back at her brother. As she looked at the two, side by side, she felt the same strength and passion within both of them.
"I was right Joey, you are a warrior."
Yami who had come up to hear this with Silver Fang just smiled. He leaned back against the wolf and felt him chuckling.
"What's so funny."
"Do you realize how different you are from the first time here?" Yami shook his head. Yugi was right, you still haven't figured it out." Yami looked at him in surprise. "Look at them Yami. This is what it means to have friends. You are your own person and now you have your own friends. Joey no longer looks at you as just a part of Yugi."
Yami thought about this and nodded to himself. It seemed that no matter what kind of battle they would be facing, he was always learning more about himself.
//No, I think I'm relearning. Who knows, maybe one day, I'll be free.//
